By Tom Kmetz, President, Kosair Children’s Hospital & Pediatric Services, Louisville, KY
Kosair Children’s Hospital this week hosted a roundtable discussion, facilitated by the National Association of Children’s Hospitals (N.A.C.H.), to talk candidly about the current and future state of children’s health care. As Congress discusses health care and awaits the Super Committee’s November 23 proposal, this conversation could not have been more timely. In lieu of focusing on problems, we strived to bring solutions and invaluable insight to the forefront.
Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) joined the discussion and offered opening remarks about the importance of children’s hospitals and the inherent funding problems that exist when dealing with the Medicaid population, discussing how the expansion of Medicaid under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care would challenge our creativity and patient service.
With the reauthorization bill having passed the House and currently on the Senate floor, N.A.C.H. spotlighted the critical importance of Children’s Hospital Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) funding in preventing physician shortages. The CHGME program trains 40 percent of all pediatricians and 43 percent of all pediatric specialists, and is a vital investment in both the future health care workforce for our children and in ensuring children’s access to quality health care.
Additional topics discussed throughout the length of the roundtable included the prevalence of childhood obesity and existing initiatives to combat this epidemic, and how a Kosair pilot and training program is working to decrease incidences of shaken baby syndrome.
In addition to Rep. Yarmuth and his staff, the roundtable hosted representatives from the offices of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY) and Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and advocacy groups such as Kentucky Youth Advocates, Pediatricians Urging Safety and Health (PUSH) at the University of Louisville and the Kentucky Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Most importantly, participants at the roundtable heard the story of two Kosair Children’s Hospital (KCH) patients and their experiences with the pediatric specialist care available at the hospital. Jeannette Carter’s daughter, Elizabeth, is a lively, active 19-year old young woman due in part to the ongoing care she received from KCH after being diagnosed as an infant with a rare and complex heart disorder and suffering a post-surgical stroke. The care and subsequent recovery Elizabeth experienced while at KCH led Jeannette to pursue a career in nursing and we are now blessed to have her on staff as a pediatric intensive care unit nurse. The Carter family joined Kosair Children’s Hospital leadership and staff in D.C. this past summer to participate in N.A.C.H.’s annual Family Advocacy Days. Children’s hospitals throughout the country provide almost all hospital care for children with complex conditions, train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists and advance lifesaving discoveries that not only benefit children but adults as well. Further, children’s hospitals lead community health improvement programs and public health initiatives for children that yield long-term benefits. They are the backbone of the pediatric health care infrastructure.
Hosting events such as today’s roundtable discussion provide invaluable, timely opportunities to bring together the experience, insight and knowledge of those invested in children’s care from all perspectives – whether directly providing care, advocating for children’s issues or putting into action policies that protect and advance children’s health and funding for their care. We are anxious to continue and expand upon the discussion with those at today’s roundtable and strongly encourage other N.A.C.H. members to host similar events to help ensure the quality of health care available to children.
Present high proportion of children with special health care needs have insurance at any point in time, nearly 40% are either uninsured at least part of the year or have coverage that is inadequate. Recent expansions in public coverage, although offset in part by a contraction in employer-based coverage, have led to modest but significant reductions in the number of uninsured children with special health care needs. Emerging insurance products, including consumer-directed health plans, may expose children with special health care needs and their families to greater financial risks.
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